A week after Grambling found its new basketball coach, the Tigers have lost their leading scorer.

Grambling guard Antwan Scott told The News-Star late Tuesday he will transfer for his senior season.

“I’m just trying to go somewhere my senior year with a better opportunity to win and surround myself with people around me that can help be successful and get to the next level, not saying Grambling State wouldn’t have done that, but I felt it was a good opportunity to play at a bigger stage,” Scott said.

Despite multiple meetings with new coach Shawn Walker, who was hired last week from Division II Elizabeth City State College, Scott decided it was best to leave the program. Scott received permission to contact other schools Tuesday afternoon.

“To be honest, my mind was already made up a week or two after (former Grambling coach Joseph) Price was fired,” Scott said.

“Sometimes, I feel like I didn’t give coach Walker a fair chance because I already had my mind set on leaving. I didn’t give him a fair chance to show me what he could have done. That’s something I have to live with.”

Scott, who transferred to Grambling from Idaho nearly two years ago, led the Tigers in scoring last season with 15.7 points per game.

Scott graduated in May and will be eligible to play immediately due to an NCAA rule that allows a student-athlete to transfer without penalty if that school offers a different graduate program.

Walker and Scott met for a final time Tuesday, where Walker laid out his plan and vision for the program.

Scott said Walker told him he’d love to have him around, but didn’t necessarily beg him to stay.

“I believe he’s going to be the guy to turn this program around, to be honest with you,” Scott said of the new coach. “He’s a straight-forward guy. He’s a real discipline guy. I would have loved to play under him. If I had two years or three years left, I would have played under him.

“But this is my last go-round, so I believe me transferring was the best decision.”

The Dallas native headed back to Texas on Wednesday to train and hopes to go on a few visits and make a decision by next week.

In addition to dealing with an uncertain coaching status after Price was fired, Scott is also recovering from a broken foot suffered in early May.

Scott began his collegiate career at Ranger Junior College in Brownwood, Texas, before transferring to Idaho for his junior season.

While at Idaho, Scott’s mother became ill due to complications from gastric bypass surgery. Scott transferred to Grambling without playing a minute for Idaho to be closer to his mother, who died in October.

Price gave Scott plenty of leeway and allowed Scott to travel home several times a month to be with his mother while she was in a coma for almost a year.

“I’m a Grambling alumni,” Scott said. “Grambling showed me a lot in a year that I was here. I appreciate everyone’s support from the athletic director to men’s basketball coach to women’s basketball coach and all the students and administration, just everybody who supported me.

“I just feel this was a stepping-stone in my life and something I had to do.”